Kathy: The Bumpy Road from Movie Mogul to TV Executive

In 2005, Lesley Stahl asked Star Wars creator George Lucas, “What if someone else, beside you, came to you and said, ‘I want to make Episode 7.’ Do you see that happening?”

“No,” he responded, “…There is no Episode 7.”

On October 30, 2012, George Lucas sold Lucasfilm Ltd. to the Walt Disney Company for $4 billion. “Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm,” a Disney press release announced. “…Additionally, she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise…. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015.”

Kathy and Early Television

Kathleen “Kathy” Kennedy began her career in Hollywood in the late 1970s, working as a personal assistant for John Milius, the executive producer of Steven Spielberg’s 1941. Spielberg instantly noticed Kennedy and valued her creative input. (Ellison, 2016) In 1982, the pair created Amblin Entertainment, and a year later, she was nominated for her first Best Picture Oscar for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In late 1988, Spielberg began developing Tiny Toon Adventures with Warner Bros. Kathy, who at the time was working on such films as Back to the Future Part II, was named Production Executive.

The pilot episode is a satirical retelling of the development of the show itself. In one of the opening scenes, an animator is berated by a Warner Bros. executive to create a hit show “by 9am tomorrow”. Eventually, the animator creates Buster and Babs Bunny (“No relation!”) but gives up and throws them away. After he leaves, they emerge from the wastebasket and decide to create their own cartoon. After the scripts are written, however, they are stolen by an evil child who renames the series as “The Montana Max Show” and removes Buster and Babs. Desperate, they find Bugs Bunny and beg for his help (“O Pater, O Mentor, O Great Unaffordable One…” “Eh, you can call me Bugs”). Bugs creates Acme Looniversity and teaches the Tiny Toons how to be cartoon characters via a musical number. Babs and Buster defeat Max and get the scripts back, which the animator discovers when he walks into his office the next morning.

While Tiny Toon Adventures is satirical – outwardly mocking Warner Bros., several of their movies, and even real people like Ted Turner – the philosophy of the show is startlingly like both Episode 7 and The Mandalorian. The show acknowledges upfront that it is meant for a new generation, but it is keeping the same spirit of the original, to the point where the original Looney Toons appear as supporting characters. As Bugs was introducing Buster and Babs to Acme Looniversity, I was reminded of the elderly Han Solo standing with Finn and Rey on the Millennium Falcon in The Force Awakens, or Luke Skywalker rescuing Grogu in the Season Two finale of The Mandalorian. It appears that Spielberg and Kennedy’s goal with Tiny Toons was the same as Disney and Kennedy’s goal for Star Wars – reinvigorate an old brand with young characters but keep it similar enough to the original source material that it feels like a natural continuation – and to get older audiences interested.

Lucasfilm Under Kathy

On June 1, 2012, four months before he would sell Star Wars to Disney, George Lucas named Kathleen Kennedy co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. Some industry writers were instantly suspicious. Deadline called the move “bizarre”, explaining that Kennedy and her producing partner, Frank Marshall, had just signed a TV deal with CBS only days prior. “As part of the deal,” they reported, “…Kennedy will step down from her post as co-head of the Kennedy/Marshall co-production company, leaving it to Frank Marshall to run.”

“After more than three decades of making some of the most successful movies of our time, Kathleen Kennedy has become something of an icon,” wrote Sarah Ellison in The Hollywood Reporter, “She is perhaps the most powerful woman in Hollywood, but she does not talk much about what it’s like being a female executive in a man-dominated industry. That is not her style. Nor is she self-deprecating. She prefers to just have people watch what she does.”

Kathy was open about the progressive direction in which she wanted to take Star Wars. While all six movies were written and directed by men, and starred mostly men, women make up a sizable portion of the Star Wars fanbase, and Kathy promised that women and people of color would see more characters who “look like them” in upcoming projects. “Kennedy has become the high priestess of the relaunched Star Wars enterprise,” Ellison continues, “the new movie’s position as the first feminist Star Wars film – with Rey, the breakout female protagonist – only adds to the impression that Kennedy is, as Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan put it, ‘a superhero in-training’.”

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens was a massive commercial success, and one of the best-reviewed films in the franchise. In the early days of the film’s promotion, there was outrage from bigoted fans over the casting of John Boyega, a black actor, as a stormtrooper, and a woman (Daisy Ridley) as the lead. Upon the release of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, thousands of fans who were upset about the controversial ending, the “aggressively diverse” casting, and the perceived “wokeness” of Kathleen Kennedy, targeted Boyega, Ridley, and Kelly Marie Tran, a cast member of Vietnamese descent, on social media, sending sexist and racist spam to the point where the latter two deleted their social media accounts. Even fans on the other side of the aisle were not pleased with Kathy. Despite promising to work with female filmmakers, she had only ever hired male directors to work on Star Wars projects, and while the casts of the new films were diverse, critics pointed out that many of the characters played by women and people of color were often sidelined and underdeveloped.

It would appear (and insiders have alleged) that Kathy blamed The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson for the film’s mixed reception. She had given him full creative control and saw his decisions – including the casting of Kelly Marie Tran – as mistakes that had to be righted for the final film. Kennedy hired Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams to complete the Trilogy, which led to an allegedly nightmarish production, with Kennedy demanding reshoots and re-edits against the wishes of Abrams, who is said to have argued, “Why not just put ‘Directed by Lucasfilm’ at the end?” (Britt, 2020)

Star Wars – Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker was a critical flop and a financial disappointment. Controversy arose immediately as fans noticed Kelly Marie Tran’s character had just seventy-three seconds of screen time. The film’s production was so hectic that many disgruntled crew members leaked crucial plot information on websites like Reddit months before the film’s release. These insiders alleged (and Tran later confirmed) that several scenes with her character were shot but cut out of the film. Additionally, a subplot involving Finn (John Boyega) discovering he has the Force was filmed but also edited out of the final film.

By the release of Episode IX, it would appear Kennedy had lost the goodwill that had been surrounding her since she became President of Lucasfilm. One half of the fanbase hated her for being progressive, the other half believed she was not progressive enough. Her last three films (Episode VIII, Solo, and Episode IX) were considered financial disappointments. A performance like this could have killed the franchise, but Kathy had one final hope.

The Mandalorian

Rumors of a Star Wars television show floated around the Internet ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm, with ABC president Paul Lee stating that the network would be involved with any potential projects – but nothing was officially confirmed until 2017, when then-CEO Bob Iger announced the upcoming series The Mandalorian would premiere not on ABC, but on Disney+. Jon Favreau, whose Jungle Book remake had just won an Oscar for Visual Effects, pitched the show along with the new virtual-reality filmmaking that he had helped pioneer. Kennedy oversaw the development and production as Executive Producer, and Season One premiered in November 2019, a month before the disastrous release of The Rise of Skywalker.

Unlike many of Kennedy’s Star Wars endeavors, The Mandalorian was critically acclaimed by both critics and fans. The creative team (including Taika Waititi, Deborah Chow, and Robert Rodriguez) and the cast are diverse, and the characters are so well-written that everyone has a want, a personality, and a purpose. Entertainment journalist Marc Bernardin put it, “[It’s as if Favreau said] ‘What if we did the thing that every corporation talks about doing, which is find a way to tell diverse stories with diverse storytellers but make it so that you barely notice it. You make it effortless…It doesn’t go without me commenting on it that the final sequence of The Mandalorian [season two] is four women storming a bridge and killing everybody…. I think there’s one white dude with a line in that entire episode, and you don’t care because it’s so great. That’s when diversity works, when the audience doesn’t notice it and it just becomes the fabric of the stories you’re telling.”

The important thing to remember is the stark contrast between the productions of Kathy’s Star Wars films and The Mandalorian. Although she was President of Lucasfilm and Executive Producer of the show, Favreau reported to Bob Iger during production of The Mandalorian, as Kennedy was focusing on Episode IX. As the executives saw it, Kennedy and Favreau were each responsible for their respective project. For better or for worse, The Mandalorian defied all expectations to the point where it overshadowed Episode IX in terms of positive reception, fan engagement, and merchandising.

Many of Kennedy’s Star Wars films were taken from their directors and re-edited to be more accessible or commercially viable. On The Mandalorian, however, the director of each episode is given the freedom to tell their story – as a result, the show is known for its efficient, drama-free productions, which allowed the crew to continue shooting Season Two without a delay during the pandemic. Unlike many of the cast members of the Sequel Trilogy like John Boyega, who spoke out against the prejudice he experienced, not one cast member on The Mandalorian has come out with allegations of a toxic work environment. In short, Jon’s projects are efficient, popular, and generate almost nothing but Disney+ subscriptions, trending hashtags, and good press. Kathy’s projects, for the most part, have done just the opposite.

“It is a period of civil war.”

On February 10, 2021, cast member Gina Carano was fired from The Mandalorian. Carano, an outspoken conservative, had made several social media posts that generated controversy, but the final straw was when made a post comparing being a conservative to being a Jew in Nazi Germany. Whether or not one agrees with the decision to remove Carano, no one can deny the backlash Lucasfilm received. Angry fans – many of whom had spent the past several years harassing Daisy Ridley and other women/POC Star Wars actors on social media – suddenly (and hypocritically) rushed to Gina’s defense. “#CancelDisneyPlus” trended worldwide, and the company’s stock fell seven points.

Officially, Carano was fired by the Walt Disney Company, but some speculate the driving force behind her removal was Kennedy herself, who allegedly advocated for Carano’s firing for months and was only able to convince Disney to act after the Nazi Germany post. However, there are those who believe Kathy’s desire for Gina’s removal was more than just political. By early 2021, Jon Favreau was extremely popular with Disney executives and shareholders. Not only had he created The Mandalorian, which single-handedly made Disney+ one of the world’s largest streaming services, but he is also the “founding father” of the MCU, having directed the very first Iron Man movie. With his success at Marvel, The Mandalorian, his 2019 Lion King remake, and upcoming slew of Disney+ shows, Favreau is at the height of his career, and rumor has it that executives are eyeing him to replace Kathy as President of Lucasfilm.

Undermining her authority as President, current CEO Bob Chapek allowed Favreau and fellow showrunner Dave Filoni to develop an “extended universe” of Star Wars shows and miniseries that would be the new focus of the franchise. Favreau and Filoni had been crafting several Mandalorian spin-offs, including one starring Gina Carano, that had to be scrapped after her firing. Is it possible that, by pressuring Disney to fire Carano, Kennedy was trying to undermine Favreau’s upcoming projects?

Kamran Pasha, writer, producer, and former Disney showrunner would agree. “The ‘Money People’ already know they had a plan in Favreau,” he said on a fan podcast, “...people who sit around making models…know that even better than we do, and they have the contacts inside the company to confirm it….they saw it in the rise of subscriptions to Disney+, they saw it in the global reaction to Luke Skywalker’s return, they saw it in the Baby Yoda toy sales, they saw it in the Gina Carano toy sales…they knew there was a plan, and they knew that this [her firing] was someone subverting the plan for their own personal ego.”

The Rise of Favreau

Kathy is a private person, and information regarding her Star Wars projects is conflicting. Official behind-the-scenes documentaries paint the productions of the Sequel Trilogy as happy occurrences where everything went smoothly, and everyone had fun on set. However, insider rumors, cast allegations, and even industry reporting has shown that the productions of those films were not nearly as pleasant as the behind-the-scenes documentaries claim.

In the same vein, there is a docuseries on the production of The Mandalorian on Disney+ (conveniently executive produced by Kennedy), which paints a similarly cheery image of the show’s production. While many fans dismiss this as corporate propaganda, it seems that every fan (or at least the ones who care this much) must choose who to believe – the utopian, Disney-approved docuseries about how great the production was, or the insiders and cast members who have alleged a “Lucasfilm civil war” between the “Kennedy faction” and the “Favreau faction”. Which is more believable? Is the truth somewhere in the middle?

According to the ever-present inside sources, Favreau is lobbying hard for the return of Carano, who since her firing has been featured on Disney+ via an appearance on Running Wild with Bear Grylls. Midnight’s Edge, a fan-run Star Wars podcast with connections to legitimate insiders, reveal, “Our sources were not able to confirm if an offer to return to Star Wars had been extended to Carano…or if it would be in the near future. They did, however, point out that with the previously-canceled Bear Grylls episode reinstated, and Cara Dune [Carano’s character] toys back on shelves in numerous locations, the door to an eventual return is, in principle, less shut than it once was.”

“Do take this with a grain of salt,” they continue, “but according to one of our sources, Kathleen Kennedy is unlikely to be renewed beyond her contract, which is set to expire this fall…. If this source is to be believed, Kennedy’s remaining reign may be shorter in practice than in theory, which would certainly help facilitate a possible Gina Carano return.” Similar to when insiders leaked Episode IX spoilers months before its release, only time will tell if this rumor has any weight to it. The Kennedy-produced, Disney-approved documentaries would have fans believe there is no conflict at all, despite multiple allegations from cast members, inside sources, and even publications like Forbes and GQ claiming just the opposite.

Even if Kathy ends up losing the Lucasfilm presidency, her career is still far from over. She is still arguably the most powerful woman in Hollywood, and she is currently the second-most financially successful film producer of all time, just beneath Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige. Despite many fans claiming she “ruined” Star Wars, and her films’ relatively poor performances, I believe she will continue to produce successful films and television shows for years to come. The ups and downs of her Star Wars tenure aside, Kathleen Kennedy is an inspiration not only to young women going into the film industry, but even to me. Since the start of her career, she has clearly cared deeply about her projects and the way they are received by fans, both old and new. Despite the mistakes she has made over the past decade or so, she remains one of the most important and influential producers in Hollywood.

Works Cited

Britt, Ryan. “The Alleged ‘Rise of Skywalker’ J.J. Abrams Cut Is ‘Bullshit.’ Here’s Why.”

Inverse, January 3, 2020. https://www.inverse.com/article/62086-rise-of-skywalker-jj-abrams-cut-reddit-leaks-spoilers Accessed May 15, 2021

Collins, K. Austin. “Are We Really Going to Pretend That Gay Kiss in The Rise of Skywalker

Matters?” Vanity Fair, December 20, 2019. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/are-we-really-going-to-pretend-the-gay-kiss-in-the-rise-of-skywalker-matters Accessed April 27, 2021

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Lucas.” Deadline, June 1, 2012. https://deadline.com/2012/06/lucasfilms-names-kathleen-kennedy-as-co-chair-280744/ Accessed April 24, 2021

Del Vecchio, Gene. “Disney’s Firing of Gina Carano Is Confusing and Hypocritical – Lacking

Sound Management”. Forbes, March 11, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/genedelvecchio/2021/03/11/disneys-cancel-culture-is-confused-hypocritical-and-dangerous--lacking-sound-management/?sh=7dce552665a4 Accessed April 24, 2021

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https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/kathleen-kennedy-hollywood-producer Accessed April 24, 2021

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based on their race’”. GQ, September 2, 2020. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/john-boyega-interview-2020 Accessed April 25, 2021

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graduate as classic cartoon characters”. Comic Scene. No. 15. Starlog Group, pp. 33-39, 1990.

Parker, Ryan. “‘The Mandalorian’ Star Gina Carano Fired Amid Social Media Controversy”.

The Hollywood Reporter, February 10, 2021. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/the-mandalorian-star-gina-carano-fired-amid-social-media-controversy Accessed April 24, 2021

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era of Star Wars”. CNBC, December 19, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/19/the-mandalorian-is-ushering-in-new-era-of-star-wars-on-disney.html Accessed April 24, 2021

Episodes Cited

“Chapter 1: The Mandalorian”. The Mandalorian, created by Jon Favreau, Season 1, Episode 1,

Lucasfilm Ltd., 2019

“Chapter 16: The Rescue”. The Mandalorian, created by Jon Favreau, Season 2, Episode 8,

Lucasfilm Ltd., 2020

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Semel, produced by Tom Ruegger. Season 1, Episode 1, Amblin’ Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, 1990.

Online Media

“George Lucas”. 60 Minutes Overtime, 2005.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W4Eew8WJoU

“Gina Carano to return to Star Wars; while Kathleen Kennedy goes on extended vacation?”

Midnight’s Edge, May 4, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCkVYo3DxkA Accessed May 5, 2021

“The Mandalorian Season Finale! SPOILERS! FMB Live 12/19/2020” Fatman Beyond,

December 19, 2020, by Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0brLBxUHoK4&t=2538s

“The latest rumor is that Kathleen Kennedy is OUT of Star Wars. Can it be true?” Midnight’s

Edge, February 18, 2021. Featuring Kamran Pasha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXrtLrNF9Lg Accessed April 25, 2021